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Spanish designers create a 'weightless' playground inside a kaleidoscope

By Kim Megson    16 Nov 2015
The interiors of the hexagonal-shaped structure appear to constantly shift due to optical effects caused by reflections and movement / Laura Torres Roa

A Spanish design studio has created a children’s playground with a mind-bending twist: it's set inside a kaleidoscope.

The interiors of their hexagonal-shaped structure appear to constantly shift due to optical effects caused by reflections and movement.

“Kaleidoscopes have been enjoyed by multiple generations,” said Juan Manzanares Suarez and Cristian Santandreu Utermark – the creative duo behind Spanish studio A2arquitectos. “We observed the optical effects of these toys and decided to build one on a large scale so that children can interact with it.”

The duo said their playground – located in the grounds of the Hotel Castell dels Hams in Majorca’s Porto Cristo – provokes “a strange sensation of weightlessness” for those inside it.

“Variables such as external elements, natural light and the movement of children generate a set of lighting effects and reflections that modify the space and create multiple worlds when people are inside,” they added.

The 90sq m (968sq ft) kaleidoscope contains several different rooms and compartments to be explored, each using different colours, textures, circular patterns and fluorescences. The main colour theme is pink; chosen for its “relaxed and excitement provoking” qualities.

Kaleidoscopic effects are increasingly an inspiration for architects and designers. In June this year, a three-dimensional temporary installation at the Vivid Sydney festival allowed visitors to enter a dome-shaped kaleidoscope made from 320 geometric shapes.

Meanwhile, Shanghai’s G+PARK museum features a wedding ‘Rainbow Chapel’ in which adventurous couples tie the knot in a room of 3,060 glass panels painted in 65 bright translucent colours.

The playground is the creation of Spanish studio A2arquitectos / Laura Torres Roa
The designers said their illusions create 'a strange sensation of weightlessness”' / Laura Torres Roa
Pink is the dominant colour used because of its 'relaxed and excitement-provoking' qualities / Laura Torres Roa
Each room uses different colours, textures and patterns / Laura Torres Roa
The designers said: 'We observed the optical effects of these toys and decided to build one on a large scale so that children can interact with it' / Laura Torres Roa
The park can be enjoyed by children staying at the Hotel Castell dels Hams in Majorca’s Porto Cristo / Laura Torres Roa
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